Kite-Flying Event Claims 13 Lives ("When Kites Are Outlawed...")

The Australian ^ | 2/7/05 | correspondents

[pgobrien]

A refresher course in Ohm's Law.

[xm177e2]

Metal kite strings are outlawed because they could lead to electrocution, or because they're used to cut down other kites' strings?

[MamaTexan]

then the kites try to cut the strings of their opponents

OH! Kite fights!

We always raided the slot in my dad's medicine cabinet for razor blades to attach to ours.

[nothingnew]

I shot a bullet in the air

It came to earth I know not where...

(in my best Curly accent)but it did come down and this I swear

somebody soiled their underwear.....nyuk nyuk nyuk.

FMCDH(BITS)

[Uncle Miltie]

"What's wrong with these people?"

In their usual form, kite wars of the Indian sub-continent are great fun. Classically, you take stout string and coat it with glass shards which when rubbed against an opponents string cuts it.

The spectacle of tens of thousands of kites is great! Probably not such a good idea where there are power lines, though.

[solitas]

A man was killed by a stray bullet

I can understand the falling from a roof, getting creamed by a car when you don't look where you're going, even getting electrocuted by a wire hitting the power lines - the people are stupid - but WTF: they SHOOT at the kites too?

[Future Snake Eater]

"In Soviet Russia, kite kills you!"
< / yakov >

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

I can understand the falling from a roof, getting creamed by a car when you don't look where you're going, even getting electrocuted by a wire hitting the power lines - the people are stupid - but WTF: they SHOOT at the kites too?

... ummmmmmm... because of the increasing number of diabolically-clever costumed super-villains using kites in the commission of their dastardly CRIMES, maybe...?

... or... I dunno... not, I guess. I dunno. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"In their usual form, kite wars of the Indian sub-continent are great fun. Classically, you take stout string and coat it with glass shards which when rubbed against an opponents string cuts it."

Have you read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini? What a little gem of a book! I loved it, and because I read it, I knew what the heck this article was about in the first place, and why people are so rabid for these kite fighting contests. ;)

[Uncle Miltie]

"Have you read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini?"

No, but I've seen the festival in Khathmandu. My little brother was quite good. There was no electricity in that neighborhood, so wires were not a problem.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oh, well...you win then, LOL! I'll just have to live other lives through books for now. ;)

[Ichneumon]

Definitely "just damn" material...

[UCANSEE2]

Fell off the roof? No.

Dragged off is more like it.

My kite has an eight foot wingspan and two lines.
Each one is 100 pound test line.

When the wind gets going, it has picked me up off the ground, and drug me face down across the park.

I can cut perfect sqaures in the sky, or have it come straight down, turn 90degrees before hitting, and then zoom straight and level across the field, turn 90 and go straight backup. And you do not want to be in the way of these things.

[UCANSEE2]

[cricket]

"Have you read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini? What a little gem of a book! I loved it, and because I read it, I knew what the heck this article was about in the first place, and why people are so rabid for these kite fighting contests. ;) "

Wrote almost same response. . .but left house without posting it. . .

The book IS a gem; Khaled is an incredible story-teller; and certainly can critiique pain and suffering; life's angst. . . in the most beautiful and simple language.. .

. . .we see Kite running as a national sport for these people.